


Encryption Protocol

by EradiKate



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M, Fake Marriage, Hunting Down a Thief, Non-Pathfinder Sara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-29 17:01:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15077711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EradiKate/pseuds/EradiKate
Summary: A Reyes Vidal romance, written for the 2018 Mass Effect Big Bang, featuring art by @blacksheep33512.





	Encryption Protocol

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> _[View post on imgur.com](//imgur.com/YvSVbxT) _

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_ “Ryder, you have three new emails from Reyes Vidal and your brother.” _

 

Sara yawned and stretched, blinking grouchily as the even voice roused her.  Squinting at her clock, she debated pulling a face knowing that SAM wouldn’t comment on it.  Desire to be childish won and she was confident the resulting grimace was one of her better works.  “Could it have waited twenty minutes? You know, until my alarm went off?”

 

_ “You received the first of these messages at approximately nine AM Nexus standard time.  It is now well past--” _

 

“I get it, SAM, I’m a lazy layabed compared to my brother.  You know perfectly well why I planned to sleep in today, because you were only too happy to help with the schematics for the new solar converters last night.”

 

_ “An admirable project, Ryder, but your brother’s messages seemed urgent.” _

 

“Fine, fine.”  Sara swung her legs over the side of her bed and scrubbed a hand across eyes gritty with sleep.  “I’ll read them, but I’m starting the coffee maker first.”

 

_ “Your father also prioritized caffeine.” _

 

“Without it, you wouldn’t exist.”  She padded back across the single-room apartment and sat down at her personal terminal.  “So maybe don’t knock it.”

 

_ “Your brother made a similar comment.  I think I now understand the colloquial term ‘runs in the family.’ “ _

 

“Dad would be so proud.”  Sara opened and skimmed the first message from Scott.  “So...missing shipments, both to and from Ditaeon? Someone’s been stealing my tech?”

 

_ “The thieves have been careful not to steal more than one crate or two at a time.  Your brother and Mr. Vidal would like your assistance in tracking them down.” _

 

“I got that, SAM, thanks.  Vidal...Vidal...Ditaeon’s liaison to the Collective?  The stupidly attractive one? Why’s he involved?”

 

_“That is correct, although I cannot speculate on how aesthetically pleasing he is.  I suspect if you read his message, you’ll find out why he is contacting you.”_   The AI’s voice only hinted at dryness.   _“Perhaps that should be your next move?”_

 

Sometimes, Sara thought, having an AI in your head really sucked, especially when the AI had learned most of its personality from your brother.

 

_ “Your displeasure is noted, Ryder.” _

 

“Damnit, SAM.”  She flipped to the next message.  “So this Reyes guy is helping because Director Addison suspects the Collective of the theft?  Well, that sounds like her. Still doesn’t explain why they need me, though.”

 

_ “A third message from your brother has just arrived.  He has landed at Kadara Port and will be here in forty-five minutes with Mr. Vidal.” _

 

Sara glanced around her cluttered apartment and decided she’d rather shower than pick up.  “Tell him to bring lunch. What did Scott’s second message say?”

 

_ “Scott wished for you to get your ‘lazy ass’ out of bed and answer him.” _

 

* * *

 

Thirty-eight minutes later, Sara was clean and caffeinated to the point where she felt she could handle human interaction.  Six minutes after that, the linens and pillows on her bed had been straightened and the jumble of datapads and schematics on her desk had given way to semi-neat piles.  The coffee maker percolated happily in the kitchenette, and a tap at the door announced Scott’s arrival. Obsessively punctual as ever, she thought.

 

“Come in,” Sara shouted.  “It’s safe.” She kicked her Initiative-issue hoodie into the microscopic closet and shoved her desk chair over to the dining nook.

 

The door opened.  “With you, it’s hard to be sure.”  Scott hugged his sister quickly and dropped a rucksack by the door.  “Let me guess, you woke up an hour ago?”

 

“I had a good reason for it.”  Sara waved at the little table.  “Mr. Vidal, welcome. Please don’t mind my brother, embarrassing me is his favorite form of entertainment.”

 

“Of course not,” the man said.  “Please, though, call me Reyes.”  His eyes flicked around the single room before he settled himself comfortably in one of the chairs.

 

He’s armed, Sara thought.  And uneasy for some reason.  Out loud she merely said, “Can I offer you a cup of coffee or some water?”

 

Scott fiddled with his omnitool, then sat down in the other dining chair.  “Coffee would be nice. Listen, I’m just going to assume you read all my messages.  Someone’s been siphoning resources off Ditaeon. I’m working one angle, Vidal here’s covering another, but we need eyes on the ground.  That’s you, Sara.”

 

“I don’t follow.”  She set a mug down in front of her brother.  “Reyes, cream or sugar?”

 

His odd golden-green eyes lit up and his back straightened.  “You have real cream?”

 

“Well, no,” Sara admitted.  “It’s the dehydrated reconstituted stuff.  But that’s a pain to say.”

 

Reyes leaned back.  “Good enough. Just the stuff, please, no sugar.”

 

“Okay.”  Sara slurped her own coffee, wiggling her eyebrows at her brother because she knew it would annoy him.  Scott rolled his eyes and Reyes grinned at her conspiratorially. Warmth bloomed in her chest, but she put it down to the drink and tried to ignore the desire to wink at him.  “When you say eyes on the ground, what exactly does that entail?”

 

Her brother’s SAM provided the answer.   _“It means that someone needs to plant tracking devices on the outbound shipments.  Since you are often working with the mining teams, it would not raise suspicion were you to do it.”_

 

Nobody spoke, then everyone opened their mouths at once, then clamped them shut again.

 

“I’m guessing that’s not all.”  Sara ran her hands through her hair and twisted it into a ponytail.  “Both of you wouldn’t need to be here if it were that simple. What else?”

 

Scott’s brows knitted together and he lifted his mug hastily.  Reyes, on the other hand, nodded and spread his hands on the table.

 

“Once we find where the shipments are going, we’ll need someone to join me while I investigate the operation.  On the off chance that someone from the Collective--” his eyes narrowed, “is behind this, we want to limit who knows about it.”

 

“You’re a relative unknown,” Scott added.  “Anyone from my team would be too recognizable.  You’ve got the SAM implant, you know how to handle a weapon, and you’re already good with tech.”

 

“It makes sense,” Sara allowed, frowning slightly.  “All right, when do we start?”

 

The two men exchanged furtive glances while Sara finished her coffee.  “Right now, if you like,” Reyes said. “I’ve got the design for a tracker with me, and I’m hoping you can help me polish it up.  Ryder says you’re good at that sort of thing.”

 

She shrugged off the compliment.  “Let’s have a look at what you’ve got.  Scott, are you hanging around for this?”

 

“I have no desire to watch my sister geek out.  I got enough of that as a teenager. Jesus, Sara, you’re almost as bad as Dad.”  Scott picked up his rucksack and threw a datapad at Reyes. “Vidal, just make sure she eats, okay?”

 

Sara’s SAM chose that moment to pipe up.   _“Your sister has not yet eaten today.”_

 

She caught Reyes hiding a smile as Scott grunted, his eyebrows rising and nostrils flaring.  “I take it back. You’re worse than Dad ever was.”

 

“If you rather I didn’t clean my apartment before your next surprise visit, I can arrange that,” Sara groused.  Her brother rolled his eyes, but didn’t comment further as she got up to rinse the coffee cups and pot.

 

“In that case, why don’t we work from Tartarus?”  Reyes stood and offered a hand to Sara in a strangely graceful gesture.  “I can make sure you get some food and the private room ought to have enough space for us to knock something together.”

 

“As long as one of you can get me back here at the end of the day, I don’t see how it makes a difference.”  Sara sorted through the data drives on her desk and selected two, plus a spare datapad. “Let me just grab a bag for all this and we can get moving.”  

 

She caught Scott looking pointedly at Reyes, but decided it would be best not to ask.  Scott’s always been a goody-two-shoes, she thought. No doubt he’s having a hard time working with one of those ‘awful exiles.’  She put the idea from her head as they emerged into the sunlight and she clambered into the back of the Nomad.

 

* * *

 

Five hours, two sandwiches, and one hell of a headache later, Sara let out a triumphant laugh and nearly fell off her chair.  “I’ve got it. We can make this tracker even smaller, damn near undetectable to anyone not working with a SAM, if we eliminate the long-range transmitter.”

 

Reyes looked up from his omnitool, where he’d been absorbed in messages since he’d left a glass of water next to Sara.  “How would we track it if there’s no transmitter?”

 

She beamed at him, then noticed the glass.  After draining it, she grinned even more broadly.  “We use the short-range transmitter, and set it up so that the beacon hijacks the nearest long-range signal.  Can you develop an encryption key while I work out the final kinks?”

 

“I can modify one of the Collective’s encryption protocols.  Working up a new one from scratch will take more than a few hours.”  Reyes’ brow creased. “Is that really necessary?”

 

Leaning back against the chair, Sara crossed her arms.  “It is. If Initiative brass thinks the Collective is involved, using anything associated with them will raise some eyebrows.  Isn’t it better to be safe?”

 

His eyes flashed mulishly, though he lifted a hand in agreement.  “I see your point, but this might take a little while. Do you want a drink?”

 

“I think I can manage it.”  Sara stood up slowly, twisting slightly to relieve the muscles in her back.  She caught Reyes’ gaze as it skimmed over her, and turned slightly pink. “Can I get you something?”

 

“What?  No, I have a bottle up here.”  Producing said bottle, Reyes opened it with a flourish.  “Show me what you’ve got and have a drink. We’ll be here a while, might as well be comfortable.”

 

“In that case, do you mind if I take off my shoes?”  She didn’t wait for his response before kicking them off.  “What is that?”

 

He poured her two fingers and grimaced.  “Whiskey, or what passes for it. You’d think we would have prioritized actual alcohol after the shitshow this galaxy has been.”

 

Sara shrugged and tossed him her datapad.  “I wouldn’t know. They didn’t let me drink for months after I woke up and now I can’t handle my booze.  Not that I was ever good at it to begin with.”

 

“A shame.”  He gave her glass a second thought, kept it for himself, and poured her a single finger instead.  “I promised your brother I’d be a gentleman.”

 

She picked up the glass and threw it back before he could change his mind.  “Fucking Scott. What did he say? ‘Oh, be gentle to my poor sister, she went and got herself kidnapped?’  Or was it the macho touch-her-and-I-kill-you crap? I’m fine, thanks!”

 

Reyes let out a sharp bark of laughter.  “Nothing like that. Just that you left someone behind in the Milky Way, and he didn’t want you getting hurt again.”  The look of wry amusement he gave her spoke volumes, though, and her heart lurched pleasantly.

 

Shit, Sara, she thought.  He’s good-looking and all, but you’re just working with him.  “Save me from protective family members,” she grumbled instead, reaching for the bottle.  “So you’ve worked with him a lot, then?”

 

“Quite a bit.  Before Meridian, your brother did a lot to clean up this planet--and I don’t just mean the water.  Because of him, a dangerous Roekaar cell was wiped out, some missing people turned up safe, and the clinic at the port stayed open.”

 

“I’m having a hard time reconciling that image with the eight-year-old kid who ate paste,” Sara admitted.

 

His laugh was gentler this time, but his eyes stayed glued to the datapad.  “Siblings are like that. This design is...interesting. Can you build it yourself?”

 

Sara nodded while pouring herself a second whiskey.  “I have most of the necessary tools at home, and anything I don’t own myself I can borrow.  Nobody will blink, they’re used to my tinkering.”

 

Reyes’ gaze shifted suddenly to her, and Sara found herself slightly uncomfortable under his scrutiny.  “That’s impressive.” His thoughtful expression sharpened. “It might make you a target if our thief catches on.  Are you sure about this?”

 

She paused, her glass halfway to her mouth.  “I hadn’t thought much about it. It’s hard to say no to my brother.”

 

“That’s true.”  Reyes huffed out a breath.  “But that wasn’t an answer.”

 

“I said I’d do it, didn’t I?”  Sara took a small sip of the whiskey and shuddered.  “Ugh, that really is awful. But I’m not going to back out.  I was supposed to be part of the Pathfinder crew from the get-go, I guess I’m just going to play catch-up now.”

 

“If you ever get tired of waiting, the Collective would be happy to have you,” Reyes suggested.

 

“You’re joking, right?”  Sara arched an eyebrow at him.  “Can you imagine that?  _ Pathfinder’s Twin Joins Exile Gang! _  It’d kill Scott.”

 

“Suit yourself.  If you change your mind, the Charlatan is always looking for people with technical skills.”  His gaze returned to the datapad, apparently lost in thought, but Sara thought she saw a flicker of something that looked like hurt in his eyes.

 

Great, she thought.  You’ve managed to offend the guy on the first day, Sara.  Social skills still intact. “I’m sorry.”

 

“Don’t be.”  He sounded as though he wasn’t quite listening to her, his fingers flying over the datapad.  Sara took the hint and grabbed her shoes, then headed out to the main bar for a cocktail.

 

* * *

 

“There you are.”  Reyes’ voice was sharp, and Sara was less sober than she’d like to admit.  One drink had turned to three, and she sat watching the dancers with more curiosity than anything else.  “What were you thinking?”

 

“That you probably wanted space to work.”  Sara tried to stand up, but quickly realized the foolishness of that plan.  “Also I’m an ass who insulted what you do. The Collective’s okay. I guess I just forgot that not everyone had it as easy as I did when I was waking up.”

 

“You call a medically-induced coma and being held hostage by the Archon easy?”  The surprise was written on his face and plain in his voice.

 

“I didn’t have to worry about whether or not I’d get to eat that day,” Sara mumbled.  “I wasn’t working sixteen-hour shifts trying to repair something that had been pummeled by the Scourge.  Yeah, being forced to do the Archon’s bidding sucked but...hey, how the fuck did you know about that?”

 

“I was there.”  Reyes sat down next to her, seemingly understanding that she was in no shape to get up.  “Saw your brother drag you out.”

 

“Sorry,” she apologized again.  “You can probably guess that I don’t remember a lot of that day.”

 

“I’m surprised you remember anything at all.  Most people don’t know that was you.” He smiled at her look of skepticism.  “I’m not just a handsome face and the liaison to the Initiative. I’m an information dealer, too.  It’s my job to know these things.”

 

“Information dealer.  Right.” Sara slumped back.  “Give me a minute to sober up.  I’m guessing you’re here now because you’ve got something for me to work with?”

 

“No, I noticed you were gone.”  Reyes shook her shoulder gently, his touch warming her.  “Things aren’t what they were a year ago, but you’re unarmed in the slums of Kadara.  Not exactly safe, even if you’re less likely to be stabbed by an Oblivion junkie.”

 

Sara bit her lip and knotted her hands together.  “Sorry again. I’m just not used to any of this.”

 

“It’s all right, Miss Ryder.  Come on, I’ll get you home. At least I can hold up that promise to your brother.”

 

She managed to stand up, although she wobbled slightly.  “I think I’d like that. But no ‘Miss Ryder’ crap. Call me Sara.”

 

The grin he flashed her in response nearly made her legs give way, alcohol or no.  “Sara, then. Follow me and stay close. The docks aren’t far, but you look like an easy mark.”

 

“I’m not that drunk,” she protested to his back.

 

“No armor, no weapons, clean shoes, and a top-of-the-line omnitool.  Easy mark, drunk or not.” Reyes glanced back at her. “And if you have to say you’re not that drunk, you’ve had too much.”

 

Sara could see there was no point in arguing, and hurried after him.

 

* * *

 

_ The encryption protocol is done.  Are you busy this evening or can I come by and compare notes?  - R _

 

_ No plans for tonight, and I’ve got a prototype ready.  Come any time after six? - Sara _

 

Three days after working with Reyes at Tartarus, Sara had fallen back into her ordinary schedule.  Her apartment was cluttered with tools, loose papers, and the safety goggles she always forgot to take off when leaving the mining labs.  She sighed. She would need to get the place organized by the time Reyes arrived, and no doubt the other techs were wondering where all the PPE went.

 

At five-thirty, and with a bulging tote bag slung over her shoulder, she gave her apartment an approving nod.  Stepping outside, she began to take a deep breath, but yelped in surprise instead when she ran face-first into a drab flight suit.

 

“Hello, Sara.”  Perhaps it was just because he’d taken a headbutt to the chest, but Sara thought Reyes’ voice sounded rougher than it had the other day.

 

“Hi,” she replied awkwardly, patting his shoulder and then her nose to make sure nothing was broken or bleeding.  “Did I forget how time works again, or are you just early?”

 

“A little early.”  He lifted a grease stained paper bag that emanated a delightful smell.  “I brought some pad thai from the Port, your brother once mentioned that both of you like spicy foods.”

 

“It’s about the only thing we agree on.”  Sara fumbled with the door and got it open again.  “Make yourself at home, I have to take some things back to the lab.  Dishes are in the cabinet between the sink and the fridge.”

 

She practically flew down the street, keycard at the ready.  The front desk was empty, so Sara let herself into the lab and was simply going to hang her bag on her hook in the closet.

 

“Ryder!”  One of the techs, a slightly older woman named Keane, poked her head out of the sterile unit.  “Everyone’s down at the cafe tonight, Markus’ birthday is this weekend and we’re having drinks.  Want to join us?”

 

“Oh!  I’d love to, but I have a…”  Sara realized she didn’t know what to call Reyes.  “Um, a friend is at my place tonight. Are we still watching the Prodromos versus Taerve Uni match on Friday?”

 

Keane’s mouth formed a perfect O.  “A friend, you say? Well, don’t let me keep you.  I’ll tell everyone you’re still in for football.”

 

“Thanks, Keane.”  Sara dashed back to her apartment, wondering if she’d just gotten herself in a pot of gossip.

 

As instructed, Reyes had made himself comfortable.  He’d dug into his noodles, while a second plate lay waiting for her on the counter.  “That was quick,” he commented around a mouthful of tofu and sprouts. “Everything okay?”

 

“Of course.”  Sara pulled off her shoes and made a beeline for her dinner.  “I didn’t want to keep you waiting, that’s all.”

 

He shrugged, a simple gesture that highlighted how strong his shoulders looked.  “It’s no trouble at all. I was early.”

 

Sara chose to bite down on a mouthful of spicy bliss rather than belabor the point.  “Holy shit,” she moaned. “This is the best thing I’ve eaten since leaving the Milky Way.  I have to get to the Port more often if this is the kind of food you have there.”

 

A grin lit his face.  “As long as you don’t mind that the seasonings are, shall we say, gray market goods.”

 

“You could have committed murder for this and I don’t think I’d care.” 

 

She fell quiet, tasking herself only with enjoying the meal.  Reyes seemed to follow her lead, neither of them speaking until both their plates were clean.  He reached into his pocket and drew out a datapad. “This contains the encryption keys. Can we try to load them on your prototype?”

 

Sara rose.  “Sure, let me grab it.”  She plucked a cable and a thin plastic case the size of her top pinkie joint from her desk.  “Here, plug this end into your datapad. It should prompt you for a password. Type in ‘barefoot’ and then launch the encryption program.”

 

“Barefoot?”  Reyes sounded skeptical.

 

“I don’t like wearing shoes, okay?”

 

“Okay.  And that’s all?”

 

“Should be,” Sara said cheerfully.  “That one’s in a case so I don’t lose it, but the chips should be easy enough to duplicate.  All I need to do is run the program for each one, slip them in the packing crates when no one’s looking, and we’re golden.”

 

Reyes was staring at her, mouth slightly open.  “You’re kidding. You just cooked up a tiny piece of tech in two and a half days?  Sara Ryder, you are something else.”

 

She blushed.  “It’s not that big of a deal.”

 

“I like to think I’m pretty clever, Sara.  And I couldn’t do that.”

 

“Sure you could,” she said uncomfortably.  “You’re familiar with a ship engine, right?  A lot of the principles are the same, the pieces are just a lot smaller.  And they run on currents rather than eezo. But all the applied laws of physics still work.”

 

Reyes shook his head and squeezed her hand gently.  “Just promise me you won’t let this datapad out of your sight.  I’ll leave it with you until you’re finished producing trackers.  And with that, I should probably get moving. No rest for the wicked, they say.”

 

“I don’t think you’re as wicked as you claim,” Sara said suddenly.  “You probably save cats from trees when nobody’s looking.”

 

He laughed at that.  “If only everyone was as generous as you.  I’ll be in touch.”

 

* * *

 

Planting the trackers had been easy compared to the work it had taken to get them all up and running.  However, Sara’s eyes were still complaining from the strain, and she decided that an afternoon off was needed.  Some sun, a trashy “new” novel, and maybe ice cream.

 

Sara grabbed her datapad and headed to the little cafe that served as Ditaeon’s social center.  A handful of metal tables sat outside, and she tossed her jacket over one of the chairs. Blinking in the dimness of the cafe proper, waiting for her eyes to adjust, she heard a familiar voice call from a corner.

 

Nothing ever really worked out according to plan.  Not even a half day for relaxing.

 

“Miss Ryder!”  The mayor waved her over.  “Have you met Reyes Vidal, our Collective liaison?”

 

She fought down what she suspected would be an embarrassingly high-pitched giggle, but knew she’d still be blushing like an idiot.  “I have, Mayor Tate. My brother introduced us the last time he was around Ditaeon.”

 

“You might as well tell him the whole story, Sara.”  Reyes kissed the back of her hand. “We’ve passed a few evenings in each other’s company.”  His voice dropped a pitch. “And I still owe you that drink.”

 

It was unfair, she thought, that Reyes could appear completely guileless and spout a bald-faced lie while she desperately held on to the scraps of her composure.  “I try not to talk too much about my personal life. Most people find it terribly boring.”

 

More than anything else, Tate seemed to find their flirting amusing.  “Perhaps I don’t need all the details,” he said. “But you two do make a lovely couple.  That said, Mr. Vidal, that concluded all the business I had to go over with you, so if you’d like to buy this young lady a drink, now would seem an opportune time.”

 

Reyes’ smile sharpened, and Sara quietly cursed herself.  “So it would.”

 

“I’ll pass on the drink if you’ll buy me ice cream,” she demurred.  “That was my plan for this afternoon, that is.”

 

The mayor rose to take his leave.  “I’ll leave you to it. Mr. Vidal, Miss Ryder.”

 

Two can play this game, Sara thought.  She grabbed Reyes’ wrist and led the way to the counter.  Ordering a double scoop of mint chip, she cocked an eyebrow expectantly.  “Don’t you want anything?”

 

He nodded as he keyed his omnitool, but his eyes danced at her.  “I thought I’d just steal a taste of yours. I was going to stop by your apartment, but you’ve managed to save me that trip.  I have some news on our project.”

 

The clerk offered Sara the paper cup and a spoon, and she smiled her thanks before striding back outside to the table she’d claimed earlier.  “When you say news, do you mean the good or the bad kind?”

 

“A little of both, really.”  Reyes scooped up a tiny bit of ice cream with his finger and popped it in his mouth.  “Good news is your trackers work beautifully, not that I doubted your skill. Bad news is, they’ve already been moved off-world.  The thieves have taken them to Meridian, which is where the trail stops. Either someone twigged, or that’s the end.”

 

“Both seem kind of unlikely,” Sara said slowly, drawing patterns in the ice cream with her spoon.  “But we’ll have to check it out one way or another, right?”

 

“Right.”  He watched her as carefully as he chose his next words.  “If you’re up for it, I’d like it if you’d accompany me to Meridian.  I’ve got a plan. And thanks to your esteemed mayor, I know people will be ready to believe it.”

 

Sara choked slightly.  “You can’t be serious. You want to pose as a couple?”

 

“Not just a couple.”  Reyes winked at her. “You’ll see.”

 

* * *

 

Sara slipped on the simple “diamond” ring and glared at Reyes.  “I just want to state for the record, again, that I have serious doubts about this plan of yours, and this ridiculous getup.  This can’t possibly work.”

 

“Not if you keep looking at me like that,  _ darling _ ,” Reyes replied.  “We’re supposed to be on our honeymoon and drowning in wedded bliss.  That ridiculous getup is what normal people wear on vacation. You look lovely, by the way--except for that scowl.”

 

She worked her features into what she hoped was a besotted smile.  “Better?” His snort was all the answer she needed, and she began to giggle in spite of herself.

 

“There you go,” Reyes breathed in her ear.  “Perfect.” Suppressing the shiver that danced over her spine even after weeks of working together, she led the way out of their room and to the front door.

 

Sara, Sara, she scolded herself.  Keep it together. You’re got thieves to catch.

 

Meridian Port was flourishing, and the tiny inn was tucked away near the docks.  On the whole, it was unremarkable, but it was across the street from the little cafe that SAM and the Pathfinder team had traced the missing shipments to.  

 

“Ooh, sweetie,” Sara cooed.  “That’s such a cute little restaurant!  It reminds me of one back in the Milky Way that I used visit with my mother.  Can we stop for a coffee before we go on that tour of the gardens?”

 

She could feel him shaking with contained laughter.  “Anything you want, honey. But we need to hurry or we’ll miss it!”

 

After bouncing through the door, Sara paused to smooth her skirt and feigned embarrassment when the asari behind the counter looked oddly at her.  “Oh! I’m so sorry!”

 

Reyes took her hand and smiled indulgently at her.  “You’ll have to excuse my wife.” He nearly burst with pride as he spoke the last two words.  “She’s been giddy ever since our wedding.”

 

The asari’s expression cleared, and she offered a flat, “Congratulations.”

 

Sara fumbled in her pocket and brought out a credit chit.  Tapping it against the payment port, she smiled brightly. “May we please have two iced coffees?”

 

The cashier grunted and went into the back room.  “Quick,” Reyes hissed. Sara peeled a thin layer of film off the chit and hurriedly stuck it to the underside of the terminal, then fished an identical-looking chit out of her other pocket.

 

Two minutes later, the asari reappeared with two cups and straws, plunking them down on the counter with a very unconvincing grin.  “There you go. Two iced coffees, that will be fifteen credits.”

 

“Thanks so much!” Sara chirped, tapping the real chit against the port.  “We’ll be sure to come back later this week.” She pulled Reyes out of the shop, half skipping and continuing to chuckle lightly.

 

“To you, my love.”  She couldn’t hide her blush as Reyes jokingly toasted her with his coffee, then his expression turned somber.  “Think she suspected anything?”

 

“Only one way to find out,” Sara muttered.  “SAM, how’s it going?”

 

_ “Quite well, Ryder.  I have established an audio uplink and transcripts of every conversation will be available almost immediately.” _

 

“Excellent.”  She grinned up at Reyes.  “We’re in. You still up for that garden tour?”

 

* * *

 

That evening, after Sara and Reyes suffered through an afternoon tour, some aimless poking through shops, and a (Sara thought) rather nice dinner, they settled back into their room.  Sara launched the audio transcripts on her omnitool, and began sifting through a pile of conversations. Before too long, she had kicked off her shoes and made herself comfortable on the bed.

 

Reyes, meanwhile, pulled a portable terminal from his suitcase and set it up on the little table.  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him press a finger to a scanner, then quietly speak a pass phrase, and finally key in a code.

 

“You take security pretty seriously, don’t you?” she asked idly, wiggling her toes.

 

He started, but relaxed quickly.  “Yes, the Charlatan insists on it.  Very few people know their identity, and they prefer to keep it that way.”

 

The question slipped out before she could really think about it.  “Do you?” Curiosity piqued, Sara looked directly at him, then blushed when he returned her gaze.

 

“I do.”  He returned his attention to the terminal but didn’t elaborate, and she let it drop.

 

The silence pressed down on her rather uncomfortably, broken only by the quiet tapping of keys.  “Sorry,” she muttered after several increasingly awkward minutes.

 

“Sara,” he said, his tone of voice gentle even if he didn’t look at her, “it’s all right.  I just have a lot of Collective business tonight and I’ll need to step outside and make a call.  When I get back, we can talk further.”

 

Even as she skimmed the transcripts, her unease grew.  Pretending to be a married couple while out and about was one thing, but they’d dropped the charade when they closed the door.  The room was only so big, and Sara knew they’d have to share the bed. Not that she minded, exactly, but sharing a bed with someone you were only half pretending to be in love with didn’t seem like the most romantic way to kick off a relationship.

 

More than that, she had her doubts about Reyes himself.  He was attractive, yes. Intelligent, certainly. But he was also well-versed in lying and her gut was telling her that Reyes wasn’t exactly who he claimed to be.  Sara tried to convince herself that it didn’t matter to the mission, but the gnawing worry persisted.

 

To add to her troubles, none of the transcripts provided her with much insight, although one seemed to indicate that a delivery of goods was due in the next afternoon.  She highlighted the text and sent a quick update to her brother before changing into her pajamas and brushing her teeth.

 

By the time Reyes returned, she was dozing off and on while trying to watch the news.  Under normal circumstances, she would have been delighted to see a story about the first litter of puppies born on Meridian, but it had been a long day.  When she noticed the cloud on Reyes’ expression, she snapped awake.

 

“Is everything all right with the mission?” she asked, twisting a corner of the blanket in her hands.

 

Reyes tried to smile, but it ended up looking more like a grimace.  “Internal Collective affairs. Nothing you need to worry about.”

 

Like hell, Sara thought.  This will get much more difficult if you’re distracted.  “I found something in the transcripts you should take a look at, then.  Supposedly there’s a shipment due tomorrow, but I haven’t seen any of our trackers drop off the map.  Want to go check it out anyway?”

 

“If nothing else, it’s a good place to start.”  He yawned. “Who knew honeymooning was so exhausting?”

 

“I think most people on their honeymoon lie on beaches, they don’t set up surveillance on smuggling operations.”  Sara flopped back against her pillow. “This may be exciting, but it definitely isn’t romantic.”

 

“Once this is over, I promise we can find some champagne and strawberries.”  Reyes coughed and froze. “Or maybe just some better whiskey than Kian’s.”

 

Sara couldn’t tell if he was serious about the champagne.  “Don’t toy with my feelings that way, Vidal. I was beginning to think you liked me for my mind, not my body.”  She tried to keep her tone teasing, but she could hear the earnest note in it.

 

“Any man who didn’t appreciate your brain would be a fool,” he replied quietly.  “What do you say we get some sleep?”

 

Her heart pounding, she agreed.  But it was quite some time before she managed to slide into dreamland.


End file.
